2017年5月23日火曜日

I
have not matured enough to discuss Fellini or Rome, but I visited Margutta
street where Fellini I lived with Giulietta Masina, so I decided to jot some
things down.

Fellini
left his home Rimini, which he depicted in Amarcord, and came to Rome when he
was 17 under the Mussolini government.

It
was inevitable to enter the movie industry from the scenarios of Rossellini’s “Roma
città apert.

The
atmosphere here is well depicted in the vulgar scenes of Trastevere
neighborhood in “Fellini’s Roma.

“Fellini’s
Roma” shows chaos and freedom.

The
confusion of war, hippies in 72, motorcycles racing by, or the bizarre and
brilliant fashion shows by priests, they are all the same Roma.

The
scene where the old Fresco drawings disappear as soon as it touches modern air
is an homage to uncertainty of beauty.

“La
Dolce Vita”.

From
the intro when the helicopter hangs the statue of Christ to the scene where
Silvia and Marcello climb up the stairs of St. Peter's Basilica, it represents
the chaos of modern and old times.

(When
I visited St. Peter's Basilica, the “holy gates” which only opens once every 25
years was open. Apparently, having gone through the gate, all my sins have been
forgiven.)

Fatigue
and depravation. You reach for the elegant lady but you can’t get her.

The
intelligent elite professor kills himself, taking his family with him.

Cannot
be saved. Cannot be saved.

Fellini
says the Rome he draws in “La Dolce Vita” is “The town in my imagination”.

The
monument that remains on Veneto street.

Tired
from the party, Marcello finds a dead body of an ugly fish/stingray.

What
awaits us past disorder and despair.

The
screaming voice of the beautiful girl on the shores do not get to him. Marcello
says “Chao” and turns around.

Suburbs
of Rome, Ostia shores.

Today,
these are shining resorts.

Similarly
at Ostia shores, Guido, impersonated by Mastroianni, is told “Chao” by
Saraghina, a strange girl dancing the Rumba at “8 1/2”.

A
beautiful and sad parting from boyhood.

A
beach that shines on the history of film.

In
“8 1/2” Fellini filmed himself.

The
title came from the number of pieces he had shot up to that point. He thought
of the structure while he was driving to Ostia.

He
filmed it on site and he improvised based on instinct.

You
could say it was Nouvelle Vague.

This
shore is known as a place where Pasolini was killed after filming “Salò”.

“Life
is a festival”

The
last scene of “8 1/2” where he runs in circles is one of the best 3 ending
scenes (for me) next to Ferdinand exploding in Godard’s “Pierrot Le Fou” and
the long take on the beach in Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Sansho the Bailiff”. Although
apparently “Pierrot Le Fou” is an homage to Mizoguchi.

They
are all shot on the beach.

Fellini
uses plazas like these very preciously.

Anita
Ekberg walks into an empty Trevi Fountain with a kitten on her head.

A
famous scene from “La Dolce Vita”.

Drew
the holy plaza with strong paintbrush strokes.

Renzi
Park is where the boxing match takes place in “Fellini’s Roma”.

Plazas
like these are what makes Italy, Italy.

I
visited a village called Bagnoregio in Lazio, where “La Strada” was shot.

Was
Gelsomina here, or Zampano...?

I
could not find out,

Right
across from there, the “Castle in the Sky” called Civita was enshrined.

2017年5月16日火曜日

Normally,
the Siena plaza is big and calm, but during Palio di Siena, a horse race that
takes place twice a year, things get ugly. It is too narrow for 10 horses to
race and many riders fall off and horses fall.

What
do the locals eat while they get heated up with the thrilling race?

They
eat “Udon”.

Thick
hard noodles made with wheat and water. Italian Udon, made in Toscana.

It
is quite different from spaghetti.

It
is called PICI.

In
front of Siena park, people eat cream and bacon PICI.

It
takes a lot of effort to chew on.

This
is interesting. I will walk around and try these.

I
came to the supposedly number 1 cafeteria in Siena.

Italian
Udon, PICI was a popular menu here too.

A
strong culture of wheat.

Italian
Udon PICI is strong.

But
it has no taste of salt.

So
you want to eat it with sauce that has a strong taste.

Wild
boar ragoût is the classic sauce.

Toscana
is the countryside.

A
small village called San Quirico in Toscana.

In
Japan, they used to call wheat, Merican powder.

This
is because they imported them from America.

They
should have called it Tarian powder.

Garlic
tomato PICI is thick, hard, and unrefined. I want to chew on it forever.

As
I eat, I think to myself, Japanese Udon has a lot of potential.

The
sun is still up, but bring on the thick red wine and Grappa!

Italian
Udon PICI, duck ragoût @ San Quirico.

A
famous comedian from back in the day once said Udon was a drink. He actually
drank it.

I
respected that.

Montepulciano,
an old village on top of Mt. Toscana.

Later,
I practiced drinking Udon without chewing on it for a few days.

I
was a child but I tried it with soft udon from Osaka, so I was able to do it.

No
way I can do it with Italian Udon, PICI.

Italian
Udon PICI, tomato garlic.

Thick.
Hard. Strong.

There
was another comedian who would eat Udon, sneeze, and pull out noodles form his
nose.

I
cannot do that with these noodles. I would get a nosebleed.

But
I’m eating tomato sauce so I guess it’s okay.

Wild
boar ragoût, a classic sauce for Italian Udon, PICI.

But
there’s more boar meat than noodles.

Ragoût
with PICI.

Can
I get some strong red wine from Toscana?

Also,
do you have any white rice?

Next
to the state of Toscana is Umbria, Assisi.

Here
too the Italian Udon awaits the pilgrims.

It
is the same thickness and stiffness, but instead of PICI, it is called
Strangozzi.

This
name gives it a better sense of how strong it is.

Cream
and black pepper Strangozzi.

Simple,
but its strength stands out.

Orvieto,
top of Mt. Umbria.

Upon
arrival, a dignified strong cathedral from the 13th century awaits
the pilgrims, and they cry.

Eat
Italian Udon and wipe your tears.

This
store had shortened pasta, so they called it Umbrian pasta instead of
Strangozzi.